Under The Sea

Lead Designers Lufan Yang

Entry Description

The goal of this project was to create a new lighting scheme for the McEvoy Foundation for the Arts in San Francisco. The design concept was to create an atmosphere representing the quality of light typical of the world under the sea, with different levels of brightness and colors to express the depth of the space and to create an immersive experience for the visitors.
The ground mounted globe lights dispersed at the entrance of the building invite visitors to enter the gallery where visitors will be welcomed by brightly illuminated, organically placed and random in size globe pendants.
Gallery 1 is filled with overlapping glass spheres and luminous art sculptures made of fiber optic textiles. They resemble jellyfish and are gently moved by air, creating a constantly changing quality of light. The illuminated ceiling reinforces the feeling of being under water by representing sunlight shining through the water and reaching from the surface to the depths.
Gallery 2 holds a large sculpture, inspired by the skeleton of a whale that has fallen to the bottom of the sea. The sculpture functions as a performance space with designed spaces for dancers and the audience. The floor mounted uplights emphasize the volume and the geometry of the skeleton.
The lighting in Gallery 3 is inspired by the deep sea, with irregular columns made of glass, glowing in the dark space.